Who Set The Boundary? Haiku Practice
Each month I share a Haiku that I’ve written, then write about it and share with my Haiku Group. We’ve been at it for close to (over?) two years now. New learnings continue to emerge. I love the word practice. A practice is something that we undertake, with consistency, to become better, to learn more, to improve. There are spiritual practices with ancient roots that aim to tame the ego. My kids regularly practice golf and dance. They aim to improve their chosen skills through repetition. Sometimes we say we need to practice patience or self-control. A practice by the very definition is grace-filled. We come to practices with a recognition that we aren’t experts and have more to learn. There is a willingness to learn from others with more experience. Muscle memory develops through the repetitive action that practice invites. When I sat down to write my Haibun (reflections on a Haiku) this month, I realized that my haiku practice was oozing out from just Haiku. The theme of my Haiku this month (That I wrote several months ago and chose to create a postcard from one month ago) was profoundly accurate of the current questions in my life. I’ve been challenging myself to dig deeper in understanding the historical impacts of -isms and -archys that are more than just theory. The things that we do with frequency and purpose shape us. The practice of writing Haiku, pausing to see the small, the essence of something, reading with an eye to a phrase that sparkes a question or is lovely is shaping me. Just as my kids swing golf clubs to improve their skills, writing Haiku improves my skill in finding the profound hiding in the ordinary. It’s always such a pleasure to spend this 30 minutes (or so) with Michael and Davin. We talk off zoom how much energy and creative energy this practice imparts for the rest of the month. I started a weekly newsletter a little while ago. I get a few newsletters and I love the consistency of knowing when they will arrive. Newsletters directly to my inbox feel a bit more personal and focused. I love this space and writing about questions. (And it’s not going anywhere) So consider this your “personal” invitation to join my newsletter list (if you aren’t already getting it!) My newsletter is called Smaller & Deeper. It’s about small ideas and practices, with permission sprinkled in that smaller, sometimes IS better. It’s a reminder (to myself mostly) that deeper ideas and wisdom often hide in the ordinary. It goes out every Sunday evening. My hope is that it’s an invitation to start the rush of a new week with sparkles of wisdom and words of grace. (Click on the link to read any of the “back issues” and, sign up. It’s free. Your email isn’t shared.)
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